Welcome, gentle readers to this word vomit I call a fanfiction.
What you're about to be subjected to, is an idea I've had floating around in my head for some time now. And I thought it oh so prudent to finally put a pencil to my temple as it were. And give form to my thoughts.
This Story will detail my take on the ever popular trope of: Villain Deku.
But he will not be quirkless. I apologise if that is what you wish for, I assure you there are a plethora of excellent Quirkless Villain Deku stories out there. A favourite of mine, despite its unfortunate abandonment being "Darklight". Though I admit there are as always with this site, parts of it I felt were unnecessary.
I shan't go into detail however, as it is not the point of this here first Author's note.
To get back on topic, the Quirk I've elected for Izuku to be granted is a Shadow Based one.
However unlike that of Dark Shadow, or the one displayed in "Everything Black" by The Sealer, which is heavily inspired by Pride of Full Metal Alchemist. Another excellent read in my humble opinion, my preferences lie closer to that of the powers of Oichi Oda from Sengoku Basara.
Needles to say, warning. Izuku will be Overpowered. He will be a Ruthless murderer, held back only by a convoluted sense of morality that contradicts itself as much as the rest of the corrupt society he fights.
Hypocritical as everyone else. Ouroboros eating its own tail and the whole world comes full circle. All that.
Full disclaimer. Naturally, I am not Horokoshi. I did not create this. Its a piece of fiction written without any desire or goal for monetization. I have no affiliation with the studio in charge of transforming it into an Anime either.
With that said, this chapter works as a bit of a preview to wettent your appetite. So without further ado.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy.
"It's all well and good to have dreams. But you should also try to keep them achievable, and more to the point, realistic kid… I'm sorry, but I just cannot with a clear conscience tell you that you can be a hero without a Quirk."
The words spoken by the skeletal figure were uttered with a tired tenderness. No doubts meant to break the news as gently as possible. But to one Izuku Midoriya, Quirkless junior high school student, with a burning desire to become a hero and save people. Well it might as well have ripped through his chest like a gunshot. The pit of despair he had shoved to the darkest recesses of his heart and mind opened up like a chasm. An inescapable maw of anguish and torment. Repressed pain and suffering lashing pouring like blood from an open wound.
The Skeletal man, Toshinori Yagi to those in the know, which Izuku wasn't, or to the general public, young verdet included, he was All Might, powered down at least, the blonde hair was there, though the comical, iconic style was gone, replaced by a much more sedated, deflated look. The eyes were the same, though now they no longer held what Izuku now knew were lies and hot air, stood up. With a withering sigh, he uttered the words "I'd appreciate it if you didn't go blabbering about my secret, young man. Despite my condition I am still the world's Symbol of Peace and Justice. And let's just say the Public isn't going to take the news well."
With those words, he left. Left a teenager raging with all the confusing hormones which coursed through his body and made a mess of his emotions. The Hero left a Quirkless kid, with a Scuicide rate so high it should've been nauseating had anyone bothered to even pay attention to it. On a Rooftop. Having shattered his dreams.
And Izuku said nothing. Too stunned. Too broken to even formulate a thought. His mind, normally a raging maelstrom of noise and thoughts was silent. The eye of the hurricane had come. For the first time, despite the despair gripping him. Izuku did not Cry. He did not Weep. He simply stood there. Alone.
Suddenly a thought entered his mind. A nasty whisper, green with envy and engulfed in the flames of an infernal wrath summoned forth from a temper no longer chained by patience and subservience. It repeated itself again and again. Sickeningly sweet, like a honeyed carcass slowly rotting. "You're just a worthless Deku" it said.
"S-shut up." was Izuku's only, lame response. His once vibrant green eyes so full of life and hope, that they dazzled and twinkled like stars were now dull and lifeless. His last hope had been stomped on. And with the first negative thought breaking loose from the confines of its cage, others followed. The maelstrom picking up once more only now it was tormenting him. Taunting him with all the insults that had been hurled at him all his life, the lack of faith in him, brought to the forefront at last.
"Worthless." "Freak." "Trash." "Waste of space." "I'm sorry Izuku!" "I'm afraid he's not going to unlock a Quirk, ever. He has the toe joint as seen in the X-ray. He's Quirkless." "Be realistic." "The others might be extras, but you're just a worthless Deku!"
Shaking hands gripped his head in desperation, trying to stave off the noise in his head. "Stop it!" He cried out desperately. "STOP TAUNTING ME! I NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG!"
His wails went unheard, the world never showing itself to care for him. Even now in his most desperate hour. No hero came for him. He was just a worthless Deku after all. That's all he would ever be. This life of his was a waking nightmare.
And in that moment, the treacherous snake arrived. Slithering into his head the words Katsuki Bakugou, the person he had admired most. And the one who was the chief provider of his misery, had told him just today. "If you want a quirk so badly, take a Swan Dive off the roof and pray for a Quirk in your next life!" "Next Life"
The words wrung through his mind silencing all others, as Izuku gasped. 'That's it!' "That's it!" He cried, mentally, then out loud. It seemed that in his hour of need. Kaachan proved to be his hero after all. All he had to do was die. It was so simple. So easy. And yet.
His thoughts instantly turnt to his parents. To his father who had left them when he was an infant. According to his mother he was working overseas to help provide for them. But, that was a fabrication. Pure fiction. Izuku knew this, having let go of that naive belief that it was true, years ago.
His father hadn't returned home. Ever. He'd never called nor written to them. Ever. And he certainly didn't 'provide' for them considering how dire their financial situation had been for over a decade. No Hizashi Midoriya was either a deadbeat who left them to fend for themselves. Skipping town at the first sign of bad weather.
Or his father was waiting for him in the afterlife. Dead, buried and forgotten. Like Izuku soon would be. A bitter laugh escaped him. "If a worthless nobody is deemed worthy of a burial. I bet they save the graves for people with Quirks so they can get honored." he uttered with a bitter scoff.
Then his words flitted to his Mother. Poor Inko Midoriya, he remembered people used to call his mother. Her Husband left her, and she was cursed with a Quirkless child. Having work inhumane hours to sustain a worthless existence. He was a burden, he realized. A burden to his mother, who'd be able to live a far better life without him. A life of dignity, where she did not need to cry and apologise to her worthless son, as if it was all her fault.
Yes. He was doing society a favour by doing this.
Just one less quirkles kid filling up the crowded world.
"Society." he uttered. The word tasted like ash in his mouth. Poison on his lips. The Society of Quirks and Heroes was a disgusting affair. Gone were the virtues of solidarity. Of self sacrifice. This was the age of wealth and fame.
All fueled by quirks. The Flashier the Quirk, the more popular the hero. The More popular the hero, the more you could sell your Merch. Take All Might, his net worth was through the roof. And yet, according to all the -extensive- research he'd committed himself to doing on the world's Number One Hero. Only a modest 0.3% of his earnings went to charity.
At the time he'd justified his Hero's choice, telling himself, he deserves to be rewarded for all the good he does. But no. All Might was a fraud. A Hack, a corrupted Symbol, for a Corrupt society.
And as the mental tempest raged on, the finality of his decision dawned upon Izuku.
He wanted no part in this disgusting world. Wanted no part in causing grief for his Mother. And he wanted no part in the Tormententing his classmates were doing to him.
Izuku had always been a pleaser at heart. And now he was going to treat his classmates with the knowledge that they succeeded in making him kill himself. Everybody wins!
Victory. That was the thought that steered Izuku onwards as he climbed over the railings. A sheer drop of ten stories below him. No wait. He counted the windows as he looked down with a clinical calm to him. "Twelve actually." he uttered in a carefree tone.
Bowing to a stray thought which entered his mind. He discarded his backpack, tossing it back onto the rooftop, with its contents spilling out. A moment later he noticed that his notebook: Hero Analysis For The Future #13 wasn't in there.
He must have lost it during his ride along All Might's leg. "That's unfortunate. That All Might signature was pretty valuable…" He said to seemingly no one in particular.
Then without fanfare, or further scenecrafting. Without shedding another tear, or a single thought piercing the negative veil strewn upon his mind, did he make good on his best 'friend's' advice and made his best attempt at a swan dive. Becoming a green tipped, black torpedo, courtesy of his curly green hair and the all black Aldera Junior High School uniform. Aimed straight for the pavement below. Breathing a sigh of relief as the winds rushed around him. It was over. Finally. This life would end.
Those were the last thoughts he allowed himself, as a swirling black mist swallowed him whole two inches above the ground.
Two Inches too early to meet his death.
Same Time - Nearby
Kurigori did not often take the initiative in this way. That was not to say the respectably dressed, mist man remained passive. It was simply not in his usual catalogue to take the initiative in finding potential recruits for his master and his master's… Protege. Pet? Student. Student was the most civil way he could describe Shigaraki Tomura. The impulsive manchild being groomed for dominion over the Empire that was All For One's.
Though it was a far cry from the Monolithic Dictatorship which All for One once commanded, his connections were vast, and his pockets unfathomably deep. It was simply not the same as it once were. When All for One was both the Underworld, and the State as far as Japan was concerned.
His Master had deemed fit that rather than simply giving the world to his chosen heir, upon a silver platter, to the impulsive Shigaraki, he was to build his own power base. An orginisation of Villains of his own.
Creatively, and aptly named the League of Villains. From which his influence would grow. It was a good plan. And under a good leader, it'd prosper. Tomura was not a good leader. Not yet at least.
And thus it proved difficult to find members. Most were disinterested, as the league had no clout not borrowed from All for One. And the few who showed interest in the venture. Were either put off by Tomura, or turnt to dust in his bar, because they said the wrong thing to his irritable charge.
For the sake of his own sanity. Kurogiri chose to look for potential recruits himself. Though, seeing as how it was broad daylight, with him trying to be as discrete as a man made of mist would let him be, he would surely not expect a potential recruit to drop out of the sky.
As if on que from the universe. A notebook fell from the sky, and landed with a definite thwack right at his feet. Neat, orderly Kanji written with a graphite pencil, though faded and weathered, upon the equally torn pages wrote: Hero Analysis For The Future #13.
In the lower corner the apparent author had even deemed fit to credit themselves. "By Izuku Midoriya, future hero."
Needless to say, Kurogiri, not being one to look a proverbial gift horse in the mouth, especially not one so kind as to drop from the sky, began to read it. And his large, yellow eyes widened. As much as eyes like yellow lanterns in swirling black mist could widen.
The sheer detail, speculations and data compiled within was. It was insurmountable. These pages were, despite their state a veritable treasure trove.
Mount Lady was a newcomer, her debut happened just this morning. And yet, seven whole pages were dedicated to her and her quirk already. Kurogiri knew then and there, his Master would very much be interested in reading this.
But even more so, he'd surely be interested in speaking to this Izuku Midoriya, future hero.
The neatly dressed bartender scanned the area for a potential owner to this notebook, when he spotted something. A young man, in his estimate about Fourteen years of age, letting go of the railing, and taking a Swan Dive off the roof.
His form was excellent, but his intent was dire to Kurogiri if this young man was who he thought he was.
In a split decision made, which would define the struggle between Heroes and Villains in the years to come, Kurogiri opened up a portal, and prevented a scuicide from taking place. Disappearing moments later into the dark himself. Intent to have words with his Master.
And cut.
I'm choosing to end it here. I feel if I kept going here, I'd write myself into a corner, making this the first and only installment. An outcome I would argue to be less than ideal. Of course, I'm a cruel author who takes his time, some might argue nothing happened in this chapter.
I disagree. Because naturally I would, I wrote this after all.
But I want to clarify that I treat this as a way to set the scene, the seeds of despair have taken root yes. But the Plunge into the dark depths is yet to come. It will come, and once a pinky has been dipped into the pond, poor Izuku will be swallowed whole, indeed.
But for now we leave him having had a brush with the sweet relief of death.
Until next time. Thank you for reading.
Your's truly.
Rem.